happy mama's day

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day this year. Emma Jane made me a very special card and then she and Paul took me to the capitol grounds for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every moment. Since Emma Jane calls me "mama" we taught her to say, "Happy Mama's Day!" and indeed, it was!

a visit from grandma & grandpa

Emma Jane had a ton of fun with her Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bill this past weekend. During their visit, we took them to the zoo and to the Riverfront Park. We also spent time in the yard playing in the sprinkler and with Emma Jane's new rides! Grandma and Grandpa brought her a Disney princess bike and a used Barbie Jeep that Grandpa fixed up just for her. You can imagine Emma Jane's surprise when she realized that just a touch of the gas pedal makes the Jeep GO GO! We had lots of fun with our special guests and hated to see them go.

graduation day

We are happy to announce that Paul has officially graduated! It was a big day for all of us. Of course, Bill and Jane came in town to attend the big event. The ceremony was held at the Koger Center in downtown Columbia. We sat in the upper balcony at the end of an aisle since we knew Emma Jane would probably get restless. We were right! She actually did pretty well in her seat for the first hour since we had plenty of snacks for her to enjoy. After the snacks ran out, we took turns taking her out of the auditorium to climb the steps and run around. She did manage to stay put until her daddy walked across the stage. She got really excited when she heard her mama's name called out. Several students had Renee as their middle name and at one point she shouted out, "Weenaa!!" over and over. Paul told us later that he could hear her all the way across the auditorium!

Later that night we went out to dinner to celebrate. We don't go out to dinner much these days, so this was a real treat for us! We are so proud of Paul and all that he has accomplished. As Emma Jane has learned to say, "Congwats, Daddy!"